Time On The Thames

I captured this photo while on a boat cruise on the River Thames. My process as a photographer often begins with an attempt to connect with my surroundings prior to capturing the scene with my camera. Although the majority of the composition of this photograph is of the Palace of Westminster and Elizabeth Tower, the man on the boat in the foreground is what forged my emotional connection to the scene. Seeing this man on a small boat, wading through the cold English waters in the foreground of the Gothic architecture, reminded me of my grandfather in the United States. An avid boater as a child and a lifelong tradesman, my grandfather always had a great appreciation for architecture. While the Elizabeth tower may initially grab the audience’s eyes, the black and white aspect of the photo places the most focus on the boater. This piece puts the simple against the grandiose and challenges the viewer to connect all the dots between. In the spring of 2022 I had the opportunity to attend university in London. During this time I fell in love with the city but at the same time fell into a common case of homesickness. This photo not only represents my love for the people, places, and history that make London such a special place, but offers a striking collision between the different elements that contribute to the London ethos. In my spout of homesickness I eventually found that the antidote lies in quiet moments like these.